A Few More from 18

At the suggestion of a good friend of mine, I decided to post some more photos from my recent shoot with 18MMW (See previous blog for what 18MMW stands for). I also added the shot that they will be using in their next promo post-card for their next show. It's the jump shot which oddly enough is becoming a trademark shot of mine. I did one of Cold Tofu a few years ago which was pretty cool. I'll post that one sometime later. Enjoy these for now!

Everyone Needs A Little Ogre In Their Lives

I've been doing this photo project of mine for the past year called "Picture a day" where I take at least one photograph of anything, anything of relevance for that day. There are days when the photos are more inspired than others, and there are days when there's really nothing I can shoot per say (well, there's always something to shoot, but life sometimes gets in the way and I don't feel as compeled to shoot "creatively").

Today was somewhere in between those inspired and not-so-inspired days.

After having done a few chores in the evening (mainly doing the laundry) I didn't want the regular, boring, run of the mill photo of the day (sometimes comprising of what I may have cooked that evening, or as of late, photos of the laundry machines I've been using). So as I was washing dishes (yes, washing them), there, above the sink were my two McDonald's branded "Shrek the Third" Shrek and Fiona action figures, just standing there staring up at me. Since they have garnered this special place in our kitchen, I figured why not photograph them today. So I did. Here's two shots:














Thank goodness for McDonald's and their freebie toys.

Outside of this, I've been very inspired to shoot more lately. So much so that I'm considering a different career path... hmmm...

Enjoy these photos. But don't be too "Green" about them! Ha!

A Weekend's Worth of Photos

Yes, as the title reads, it was definitely a great weekend's worth of photography, having started it off with a photo shoot of some friends of mine in a sketch group called 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors (www.18mmw.com). These guys (and group) are some of the most talented of Asian sketch comedy artists around, plus, they are all around great people! Here's a shot from our session:



Saturday was even more festive as I was invited to our good friends' Marc and MJ's wedding. Ah, L'Amour! Such a beautiful day and wedding for two awesome and super talented people. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the whole day by being asked to sing in their wedding choir - great times! A day I'm sure none of us will forget. They're off to Austria and Italy now - so have fun guys and congrats again!



Lastly, today was the Nisei Week Parade here in LA, and they had a special addition to this year's festivities in the Nebuta Float, sent all the way from Japan along with a couple hundred of their handles and revelers! It was awesome! The float itself is lit up at night, and pushed around by about 40 people while intricately dressed float members dance and chant in front of it. You had to be there to believe it! It was such a great experience and an awesome sight; thanks to the people of Japan and Nebuta for sharing their float with us!


So there it is, a sampling of some of the stuff I shot this weekend. Hope you guys enjoy it, and for those of you reading this (all ONE of you I'm sure), be sure to drop me a comment and let me know what you think of the photos and thoughts!

Have a great upcoming week :)

MP

A Month Removed; Long Live the King

Okay, so it's been a solid month and half since my last entry, and sadly, my last entry was definitely a downer, but to update you all who have been reading this (all ONE of you), the house has since been cleared and the contractors are currently drawing up a blueprint to start the renovation. So whew!

I have been wanting to write something recently, and I had some time today, so I decided to pick up a photo from some stuff I've shot recently, particularly this Elvis shot. Since it is his birthday, I figure, what the heck.

Now, I'm not a diehard Elvis fan, although I do have his "Number 1's" album. But it's kinda neat that this one man, this one person has been idolized to such a level that almost the entire world imitates him. Think about it, who else do you know that people literally emulate right down to his side burns and Vegas jump suits? Who? I can't think of anyone in particular, but if you can, leave a comment - I implore you!

So, this picture was taken at Disneyland recently, and there was this performer, doing all these Elvis hits, and people were still going crazy! It was unbelievable! Decades after his death, here's someone he never met doing him, and still getting accolades for Elvis' work. Insanity I tell you! Nonetheless, it was a good time had by all in attendance. Interesting cultural phenomenon isn't it?

Okay, so that's my entry for now. I'm headed to one of two weddings in two weeks tomorrow, so perhaps I'll post something from that.

Woo hoo!!!

When a family member passes away

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I received the phone call from my mom, telling me that Grandma's house had burned she said. I was thinking that perhaps a small grease fire had occured, or maybe even just a small fire had charred a small portion of the kitchen. Yet as I drove over to their house on Edgeware Road, the huge plumes of white smoke caused my pulse to race, as my second home, a place I grew up in, burned and forever would never be the same.

For 38 years this house, the place that my family has called "home" was the center of their universe. A place to return to, a place to celebrate, a place to call their own after having left their native Philippines. Their own piece of the American Dream. Yet in a matter of minutes, 38 years turn to ash and rubble, soot and smoke, memory and heartache. This house, which in sports terms could be labled as the 6th man, etc. was a family member, a "silent" partner in the history of our family, only complaining when a new coat of paint was needed, or perhaps creek when settling, etc. Yet for each day "it" was around, it provided a haven for my family, a museum for all the things they cherished in their lives, a temple per say for everything my family held dear and close.

I spent the bulk of today sifting through piles of burnt wood, ash, clothing, furniture, etc. I saw things I had not seen since I was a child. I remembered things that I thought were long forgot. Yet with each search for things that could still be saved, I was on a forced archeological quest, one that led me back to where not only I started, but my family as well. I came accross photographs, old toys, knick-knacks, etc. stuff I thought were long gone. Yet in this temple, Grandma and Grandpa felt that even the smallest toy that their grandchildren owned , were worth saving, and keeping, for value far beyond that of sentimentality. In the ashes and smoke, I realized thier ongoing love and adoration for not only us, but for the history that families build throughout their lives.


Soon this house that housed so many memories will be gone, but the ghosts of wonderful times when those who are no longer here will live on in our memories, hearts and pictures. Through the small bits and pieces that we were able to save, through the people have ever called this place "home".

I'm not really sure how to feel yet. It's only been a day.

Take care of your family. All of them.

A DRAGON caught in some power lines

Yes, low and behold, today I saw a real dragon caught in some power lines outside my voice teacher's place. A sight you don't normally see. It's kinda sad cause you can tell that he (or she, could't tell from my distance) wanted to fly and be free, yet there he/she was, ensnared for who knows how long, grounded in a way until someone saves him/her.


Do you sometimes feel that way?

Of Tris, Cafes, and 360's

What a whirlwind of a week I've had. It all started last saturday with my second triathlon of the season, a day in which I literally stayed up 23 hours due to all the stuff going on that day, then a great Cold Tofu performance at a cafe called "Sabor y Cultura" and finally waiting a whole hour to get my hands on my own Xbox 360!


Sure, some of this stuff may seem quite un-extroadinary, but to have propelled your body 32.2 miles in 2:44, played on your buddie's Xbox for 5 straight hours, then head over to another party to play "Guitar Hero" for another 3 hours, wake up the next day, shoot your friends' headshots, and then later perform in front of a coffee house crowd... totally awesome!

I know, nothing really special. But it was one hell of a weekend. Oh, and here's the pic of my new Xbox (well, the box at least).


So, for a few days, perhaps weeks, and god forbid months, I will playing on my new time waster. Heck, we all need some sort of escape from reality sometimes don't we? (As if acting isn't enough!)

The moral of this post - go out and have some FUN!!! Life is too short to spend it behind a desk all the time. Go out and find something you enjoy doing, and try to do it as much as you can.

Till next time!